Electrical means for igniting



July 18, 1950 H. FAULKNER 2,515,297

ELECTRICAL MEANS FOR IGNITING COMBUSTIBLE MATERIALS Filed June 5, 194? Patented July 18, 1950 ELECTRICAL MEANS FOR'IGNITING COMBUS TIBLE iMA'IlERIALS Harry Faulkner, Rochdale,.England Application June 5, 1947, Serial No. 752,627 In Great Britain April 17, 1946 2 Claims. (01. 175-115) This invention has for its object to provide simple and eiiective electrical means for igniting combustible materials such as Wicks, oil in oil burners and the like, the ignition spark being produced instantaneously and constituting a very effective ignition.

A device or arrangement in accordance with this invention comprises a source of alternating or direct current, two contacts (one at least of which is preferably a carbon contact) which are normally in engagement, a solenoid or relay, or mechanical means released by a solenoid or relay, for separating the contacts, and an operating switch, which may be hand actuated or may be thermostatically or otherwise automatically operated for completing the circuit through the contacts and for energising the solenoid or relay to separate the contacts and produce a spark.

To protect the resistance unit if the contacts should fail to open, a fuse or fuses may be provided. There may also be a make-ancl-break device in the circuit which is opened immediately after the contacts have been separated by the action of the solenOid or relay and which acts as a safety device. Preferably a resistance is connected in series or in parallel with the solenoid or relay, although a suitably wound solenoid or relay may be used without a resistance in the circuit, but must then have a fuse or fuses to protect it if the contacts should fail to open.

My improved device gives a practically instantaneous ignition spark so using a minimum of current. The arrangement is very simple and reliable.

Referring to the accompanying explanatory drawings:

Figure 1 shows diagrammatically an arrangement for igniting oil from an oil burner, in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a diagram of the electrical connections for the device shown in Figure 1. Figure 2- shows a slightly modified diagram.

Figure 3 shows diagrammatically an arrangement for igniting a wick.

Figure 4 shows the electrical connections for the arrangement in Figure 3.

In Figure 1, a is a fixed carbon contact, I) is a movable contact, is an oil burner, d is a lever pivoted. at e carrying the contact I), f is a spring tending to hold the contacts closed, 9 is an armature of magnetic material mounted on the lever d, h is solenoid having a core 2' adapted to attract the armature when the solenoid h is energised. In Figure 2, h is the solenoid, a, b are the contacts, a is a resistance connected in series 2 with the solenoid and the contacts, and k is an operating switch.

When the switch is closed, either by hand or automatically, the solenoid h is energised, its core 2 attracts the armature g and the contact b is moved away from the fixed contact a so that a spark is formed which ignites oil from the burner c. In Figure 2, the contacts a and b will continue to make and break so long as the switch is is closed. In Figure 2 after one break, the contacts are held apart whilst the switch k is closed.

In Figures 3 and 4, Z is a wick, m is a fixed contact, n is a carbon contact attached by means of a rod 0 and a spring p to a lever q pivoted at r. s is a plunger pivoted to the lever q, t is a rod engaging a slot in the plunger s and pivoted to an armature u adapted to be attracted by the core of a solenoid v. A spring 11: tends to urge the rod. t into engagement with the plunger s, and a spring 3: tends to raise the lever q, but cannot do so as long as the rod 25 engages the plunger s.

When the switch k is closed, the solenoid v is energised, the armature u is attracted and the rod 15 is drawn out of engagement with the plunger s. The spring 1' then raises the lever q, separating the contacts m, n to form a spark, and depressing the plunger s. This is in contact at its lower end with a lever y carrying a contact 2 which normally touches 2 these contacts being in series in the circuit to contacts m, 11., as illustrated in Fig. 4. When the plunger moves downwards it separates the contacts .2, 2 and breaks the circuit, to isolate both contacts m and n from the supply voltage.

In this case the resistance 7' is arranged in parallel with the solenoid 1). After use the device is reset by raising the lever y, thereby closing the contacts a, 2 raising the plunger 8 until the rod t again engages it, and swinging the lever q to bring the contacts 112, n into engagement. The device may equally well be reset merely by depressing the lever q.

What I claim is:

1. A device for igniting combustible materials, comprising a pair of contacts, a support for one of said contacts movable to bring said one contact into and out of engagement with the other contact to produce a spark, spring-loaded means for urging said support in a direction to separate said contacts, means for latching said support against movement under the pressure of said spring-loaded means with said contacts in engagement with one another, an electromagnet for releasing said latching means thereby to permit said support to move in a direction to separate said contacts to produce a spark, a pair of terminals adapted for connection with a source of voltage, a series circuit including said contacts and said electromagnet connected between said terminals, a manual- 1y operable switch between one of said terminals and one of said contacts, a normally closed circuit breaking. device between the other of said terminals and the other of said contacts, and means for opening said circuit breaking device in response to movement of said support in the di-, rection for separating said contacts.

2. The invention in accordance with claim 1,

and a resistance connected in parallel with said electromagnet.

HARRY Fl-lULKNER. v 16 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 241,115 Armstrong May 10, 1881 854,177 l Pryce May 21, 1907 1,288,738' Suren Dec. 24, 1918 1Q 1,655,458 Dalfi Jan. 10, 1928 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 507,420 France Sept. 15, 1920 

